When David Blaine ensconced himself in a glass box near London's Tower Bridge in 2003, rather than whoop and cheer we threw eggs and attempted to cut his water supply. So for his latest trick, the 33-year-old illusionist wisely went back to a land where everyone's a hero, writes Hazel Davis.

To warm up, or shall we say cool down, for his attempt to break the world record by holding his breath for nine minutes, Blaine submerged himself in water for seven days in a giant fishbowl in New York's Lincoln Center, kept alive by oxygen tubes as 68kg shackles anchored him to the bowl. The time to beat was 8min 58s, but today, Blaine only managed 7min 8s and had to be rescued by divers on "bubble alert". Whilst thousands of New Yorkers turned out to cheer Blaine on, many expressed disappointment at the outcome, feeling he had let America down.

In previous hijinks, Blaine spent 44 days in the aforementioned box over the River Thames, 61 hours encased in a block of ice in Times Square and one week buried in a Manhattan coffin.

It's a far cry from Houdini's day when every stunt was another notch on his heroic bedpost and a 1904 tour across Europe attracted legions of adoring fans. A modern-day superhero has to contend with America's obsession with winners and the UK's preoccupation with not appearing too cocky. Perhaps Blaine's next stunt should be how best to quietly break a record without anyone noticing.